The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-15
'ALES OF THE FRONTIER.
9th STRANGER IN THE SOUTH
WEST THAN EASTERN FICTION.

WEST THAN EASTERN FICTION.
anker Ralston's Speculations-"Mol-
liter Killed Man in the East, Will
Jams Killed Molliter, Crittenden
killed Williams and Snake Killed
Crittenden."
From the Ne,o York Star.
honestly think that if the dime novel
r;ters who draw on their imagination for
no pernicious stuff which they furnish juve-
lie humanity, ever saw the wild Southwest
lived among its people, they would have
mple opportunity without such necessity
coin many dollars for a long time to come.
nv experience as a chief deputy sheriff
New Mexico have encountered tragedies
nd stories of such wild and weird de-
rription that if had the imagination and
escriptive power of Haggard or Steven
IN would make me rich man indeed.
In the DAYS when Ralston was the Presi-
emit of the Bank of California, i'll San Fran
sco. and at the zenith of his power, and
then the last idea that could enter the brain
a Californian was that that bank should
ail and he die suicides death, he was APP
reached by some mining prospectors who
adj been looking for prospects" III New
fexico and Arizona. They told him that
the Pyramid range of mountains were
idden some of the richest silver mines in
he world, and that all they wanted was a
title capital to enrich not only themselves
Int any man who would help them. Rails
on was the man. He advanced his money
Nth the generosity which eventually bank
hlpted the financial institution of which he
sas the head. and drove him to his cruel
cath in the waters of the bay This was
pmewhere in the early 70s. If one looks at
map of the Mexican frontier previous to
$50 he will see nesting close to the frontier
me. which divides Arizona from New Mexi-
10. a little town called Ralston. There the
banker and his friends sunk many hundreds
+ thousands of dollars seeking for metal in
he huge blow-outs which contained moth
no. It took about two years or more for
Ralston and his friends to find out that they
adj been virtually swindled They then
abandoned the camp, and it virtually laid
ormant until 1880, when Hon. B. Gratz
Brown, Ex-Governor of the State of Mis-
ouri and Gen. Boyle, of st. Louis, thought
hat it could be once more resurrected as a
treat mining centre and a new bonanza. AS
6ne of the means of booming the camp, it
Vas determined to run newspaper in lit
lie place, which at the best of times had
newer more than about 200 inhabitants.
81 To the writer was intrusted the task of
Dditing the new paper, which, by the way,
Mas never started. Now for a specimen
rontier tragedy, which might be spread
2into blood-thirsty dime novel:
&@ The st. Louis people had changed the
lame of the camp from Ralston to Shake
beare This was done in order to sell more
Readily the shares of the mining company.
which under the old name might have sug-
|Xoc+a1 ,sotbcr 70 in
:. +estors. The Shakespeare Hotel, an old
lined adobe, was the principal hotel in the
bace, and there | took up my quarters on
BY arrival. 1t was kept by poor old Ger
ian named Molliter, who had adopted a
/ 3ery pretty girl named Lisa Lincoln. She
Fas about 16 and being with one exception
he only woman in the place, had many adj
nirers Among others was desperate of
HE Curly Bill gang known as Charlie Will
Hams. OF course that was not his name, as
nearly every man changes his name when
IL goes on the frontier. Williams had an
lea that old Molliter was going to marry
his girl himself And so one evening,
Then "Rocksy" opened the first big saloon
Shakespeare and all the boys were drink
hg in it, he approached the poor Dutchman
|nd said:
al every man in this country should go
Neeled Are you heeledP'
XaM w. 1CphCO tlCUlHi.
# Drawing his revolver, Williams shot
dolliter dead.
In accordance with the beautiful system
hat prevails in New Mexico, which is a
3 Virtual paradise for thugs and murderers,
Williams was released by justice of the
leace on 5000 bail. He went up to Silver
& Fifty and while he was drinking in the Cen
ennal saloon, miner named CritteIden
lame in and began boasting of a rich gold
YaIh ,l ,,1x j.. ~ A
aims. Williams insisted that he should tell
where he had found the gold and take him
as partner. This Crittenden refused to
10, and next morning, while on the way to
bis claim, he looked back and saw Williams
following him. He drew his gun, fired at
w llams and dropped him from his horse
tle then rode off and his victim managed to
get into town, where it was found that his
Knee cap haG been so shattered by the bull
let that amputation was necessary. This
Williams refused to submit to. and he lin
gered along for two months and absolutely
med by inches. Three times his coffin was
made for him, and each time another man
nlled it. On the fourth occasion, however,
the coffin was occupied by the right inhabi-
tant Meanwhile Crittenden pursued his
way to his claim, but about the time that
Williams died news was brought into town
that he had been bitten by rattlesnake and
nal died from the effects of the poison.
The local paper, the Nei0 Southwest,
summed up this extraordinary affair in the
following laconic sentence: "Molliter is said
70 have killed q man in the East. Williams
Killed Molliter, Crittenden killed Williams,
rattlesnake killed Crittenden, and the
make is yet to be heard FROM
was standing in front of the Exchange
Hotel at Silver City one afternoon in the
summer OF 81, when a young fellow, dressed
IKE dude, accosted me and said that he
admired very much 45-calibre Winchester
rl1e which he had seen in the hotel office,
ahd which he was told belonged to me- AT
mat time the only Winchesters in the coun-
Iy, outside of those in the hands of few
sher1ffs, were the old A model, and he agreed
70 give me the old style rifle and SIS in adj
uuon for mine. As | had two, and had
only paid about $50 each for them, ac-
cepted the offer. | wondered very much
what perfect dude could want with it, and
iplge OF my surprise when | was informed
mat this handsome, well dressed and gentle
manly young fellow was the celebrated
Johnny Oliver, one of the greatest cattle
InleVes that then infested the border.
,, lie was n curious fellow, this Oliver
hardly over 20 years of age, he told me in
Sonversation that he was fugitive from
ustlce having killed man in Philadelphia
u a barroom row. He said that from that
udy he had never taken a single drink of
nythlng fermented or distilled; and, he
ald, with the settling up of the country he
was gong to take up ranch, stock it with
uUtle, which he would honestly purchase